Introduction:

In the Introduction to “They Say / I Say” : The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein provide templates designed to guide a writer in conveying his/her argument. Specifically, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the types of writing templates they offer are the underlying structure for academic writing. As the author’s themselves put it, “The mere act of crafting a sentence that begins “Of course, someone might object that _____” may not seem like a way to change the world; but it does have the potential to jog us out of our comfort zones, to get us thinking critically about our own beliefs, and perhaps even to change our minds” Although some people believe using the templates are plagiarism, Graff and Birkenstein insist that it is not plagiarism to recycle conventionally used ideas. In sum, then, their view is that the templates are a useful way to encourage a writer and get them started.

I agree with Graff and Birkenstein. I my view, the types of templates the authors recommend are a convenient way to structure and strengthen and piece of work. Some might object of course, on the grounds that they fracture any use of creativity, but nonetheless they get the point across.

Chapter 1:

The main claim in Chapter 1 is to focus on the “They Say” or the thesis, order, and overall argument, when responding to other’s views. It is necessary to include any important information to convey to the reader, without leaving them guessing. They provide several templates for properly introducing a subject and its relevance.

“That to give the writing the most important thing of all, namely, a point, a writer needs to indicate clearly not only what his or her thesis is, but also what larger conversation that thesis is responding to” (20).

” The point is to give your readers a quick preview of what is motivating your argument, not to drown them in details write away” (21).

“In short, they help ensure that your argument is a genuine response to others’ views rather than just a set of observations about a given subject” (28).

When concluding a point, what is the best way to reference back to earlier sections of the writing?